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The Wheelmobile

It’s big, yellow, and making its way through America’s hearts and heartland. Join us at the Wheelmobile’s next stop for puzzles, prizes and fun. You’ll even have the chance to meet our mobile Hosts and try your hand at America’s Game.

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Wheel of Fortune - About The Show

Show History

We've had some really incredible moments over the past 30-plus years, on stage and off. Explore the show’s history, from our early days as a daytime show in the ‘70s to becoming the most successful syndicated show on TV.

Show Bios

Pat SajakHost

Vanna WhiteHost

Harry FriedmanExecutive Producer

Jim ThorntonAnnouncer

Wow! Can you believe Pat has been the Host of Wheel of Fortune for more than 30 years? Seems like it was just yesterday that he stepped up to the Wheel and let out his first “good luck!” Since joining the daytime version of the show in 1981, he has earned three Emmy® Awards, a People’s Choice Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And in June 2011, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honored him again with the Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.

Pat splits his time between the East Coast and Los Angeles. He and his wife, Lesly, a photographer, have two children.

Quick Bits: • While serving in the U.S. Army, stationed in Vietnam, Pat spent 3½ years with Armed Forces Radio and started every morning with a loud, bellowing “Good Morning Vietnam!” • Pat has guest starred on dozens of comedy, drama, game and talk show series.

“When I was a kid, I used to sneak out of bed at night, when I was supposed to be sleeping, to turn on The Tonight Show to watch Jack Paar, who was host at the time. He, for some reason, appealed to me and I’m sure many people don’t even remember him, but he was the guy who made me think that this would be a great business to be in.” - Pat Sajak

Growing up in the small resort town of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Vanna never expected to become a pop culture icon. But in 1982, she added her name to the history books when she rose above more than 200 hopefuls to become the Co-Host of America’s Favorite Game Show.

The show isn’t her only passion. Vanna’s love for crocheting and helping children led to the launch of her own line of yarn called “Vanna’s Choice,” which donates a portion of its proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — to date, the yarn line has given more than $1 million to the charity. In 2006, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored Vanna with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was honored again in 2010 when the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank presented her with the “Making a Difference Award.”

Beyond her work on TV and her philanthropic efforts, Vanna is a mother to two children, Nicholas and Giovanna. She is a strong believer in fitness and leads a healthy lifestyle, which includes spinning and yoga.

Quick Bits: • Vanna has worn more than 6,000 outfits at the puzzleboard. • She’s been recognized in “The Guinness Book of World Records” as “Television’s Most Frequent Clapper.” • Vanna's autobiography, "Vanna Speaks," was a nationwide bestseller when published in 1987.

“I love it when contestants win big! My favorite shows are the ones where everyone wins money and prizes, but you can’t help but get so excited when you see people win big, like our two million-dollar winners. It changes their lives!” - Vanna White

Harry is one of TV’s most prolific game show Producers — more than 8,000 episodes of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! have been produced under his leadership. He has also championed the development of mobile, desktop and console versions of Wheel and Jeopardy!, and he continues to push innovation with game elements, theme weeks and technology.

To date, Harry has earned 13 Emmy® Awards, the most won by a game show Producer. In 2011, he became the only Producer to ever win two Emmys in the same category when Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! had a winning tie in the Outstanding Game Show category.

Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Harry arrived in Los Angeles in 1971 without a job or contacts — but he sure had heart. Six months after his arrival Harry earned a part-time role writing for Hollywood Squares, where he worked his way up to Producer over the course of 11 years. He joined Wheel of Fortune as a Producer in 1995, and took on Producer duties for Jeopardy! in 1997.

A member of the Writers Guild of America-West and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Harry lives in Los Angeles with his wife Judy.

Quick Bits: • After arriving in L.A., Harry gave himself six months to find a job in show business. With 24 hours left on his self-imposed contract he landed his first gig. • To keep Wheel exciting and fresh, Harry has introduced new game elements such as the “½ Car Tag,” “Express Wedge,” “Toss Up” puzzles and the “Million Dollar Wedge.” • In 2011, he oversaw “Jeopardy! The IBM Challenge,” a historic competition that pitted two of the show’s most successful contestants against an IBM computer named “Watson.” • In 2011, Harry led Jeopardy! to win its first Peabody Award for its role in “encouraging, celebrating and rewarding knowledge.” • Harry is the Guinness World Record holder for both most Emmy® Award nominations for a game show producer and most Emmy® Award wins by a game show producer.

“We always listen to what the fans have to say because they watch the show with a different eye than we do, and sometimes we’re too close to it. We also know that production has certain requirements and limitations, so we have to balance those two things.” - Harry Friedman

Jim joined Wheel of Fortune as the announcer in 2011 at the start of the show’s 29th season.

As one of the most popular and distinctive voices in Southern California, Jim can be heard on Disney’s Monster’s Inc. movie, its theme park ride and the Disney on Ice show. His vocal talents can also be heard on the popular TV shows Celebrity Death Match, The Soup, The Cleveland Show, Rugrats and The Drew Carey Show. In addition to television and film, Jim has also been featured in a variety of national advertising campaigns and video games.

Jim began his career at WOWK/TV in his hometown of Huntington, West Virginia while attending Marshall University. In 1984, only a year after entering the world of broadcasting, he moved to California, and by 1989 he had his own morning show on Magic 94.3 FM. Over the next decade, Jim transitioned from radio back to television, where he became the voice of Channel 13, KCOP-TV, in Los Angeles before taking on his Wheel of Fortune duties.

Jim is married to Sue and together they have a son, Sam. He has actively supported JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) since his son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2009.

Quick Bits: • Jim’s voice appeared in the 2011 Oscar-Nominated Short Animated Film, "Let's Pollute." • He can be seen (not just heard) hosting pledge drives on Southern California's KCET, community television station. • Jim hosts the afternoon drive newscast for both KNX and CBS2 News. • He has received numerous broadcasting awards including the Edward R. Murrow Award, Golden Mike Awards® and an Emmy®.

“Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be on the radio or broadcasting in some way. When I was little I would see the credits on television and there was this one called “narrator” at the bottom of the screen. I would think, “I want to be a narrator when I grow up.” - Jim Thorton